Protective cap for fruit containers



March 18, 13924.' 1,486,9@4

P. J. KEYMEI.

PROTECTIVE CAF FOR FRUIT CONTAINERS Filed dan: 2, 1923 glwucufoz ramen niet. ie, ieee,

entre erare parent ortica.

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lt :NA F BERRYVIILE, VIRGINIA, ASSIGNOR OF @NE-HALF TU H. C.

WARDEN, 0F BERRYVILLE, VIRGINIA.

PROTECTIVE CAP FOR FRUIT CONTAIQYERS.

lltpplieatio'n led January 2,1923. Serial No. 610,287.

To all whom t may concer/n:

Be it known that I, PETER J. KEYMEL,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Berryville, in the county of Clarke and State of Virginia, have invented. certain new and useful Improvements in Protective Caps for Fruit Containers, of which the following is a specification. Y

This invention relates to a cap for shipping containers and particularly to a construction, adapted for application to a reeptacle for thel shipping `and storage of ruit.

In the prior art it has been customary to l5 provide aloose cushioning cap dis osed beneath the cover of the container ut such cap has been found 'liable to displacement when the cover is applied and a so leaves the contents ofthe container exposed at the edges thereof Where they are liable to be bruised or injured in the lateral movement of the cover when placed in position and when the containers 'are stacked as in shipment or storage. It has also been customary to secure -to the cover a packing material but this structure 'only protects the contents of the receptacle immediately beneath the same. i

The present invention, therefore, provides an improved form of dished ca -which not only cushions the contents of t e container against downward pressure upon the cover but also against any'lateral or side movement of such cover and further provides means by which the cap is securely held in position against displacement in the application of the cover while the dished portion thereof is raised above the fruit.

This dished form of cap is also adapted for convenient nesting in packing and is adapted to be produced by a single machine operation.

@ther and further objects and advantages of the invention will be hereinafter set forth and the novel features thereof defined by the appended claims.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged cross section showing the application or the cap v Figure 3 is a ragmntary plan view of the cap.

' v Figure d is a similar, view of a modified .adapted to be disposed beneath the handles 13 of the container. This cover is provided with a circular rim 14 secured thereto which is adapted to rest upon the upper edge l5 7o of the container.

The cap 16 may be formed of any desired material and is preferably provided with cushioning means such as the corrugations 17 formed of corrugated board or paper and carried by a base sheet 18. The body ci the cap is provided at its edges with a latn eral portion 19 which terminates in a securing edge 20 disposed in the plane ci `the body, which adects the cupped or dished form of the cap raising the body thereof above the upper edge of the container. This securing edge may be formed in any desired manner but is preferably radially corru` gated as shown in Figures 2 and 5, in order 85 to provide a cushioning face to protect the contents of the receptacle against injury in the side movement of the cover incident to its application or when bein handled or shipped, as indicated by dotte lines in Figure 2. In the former use of cushioning caps such movement of the cover was lia le to bruise the `fruit at the edges of the -basket thus injuring its appearance and adecting the sale value thereof which is largely governed by the appearance of the contents when the cover is removed. This side movement of the cover not only occurs in its application but when a number of baskets are stacked there occurs a rocking play during shipment which causes theedgeo the cover to contact with the fruit in the basket and this invention seeks to fully protect the contents against such injury and also against the yielding oi the cover due to the weight of superposed receptaclea The' direction and character of corrugations. used in the cap may be varied, for instance in Figure 4.- the corrugations 21 in the body' are concentric in location while those a't the securing edge 22 are radial as in the preferred form of the invention.

While the details of the invention have been l'specifically shown and described, still it is not confined thereto as changes and alterations may be made without departin from 'the spirit of the invention las dene by the following claims.

tective Vcap for fruit containers having a dished cushioning body adapted to coact with a container cover to centralize and maintain the cap with respect to the conzu tainer, said cap being provided with av ,i

peripheral ange upon which the 4said cover seats to protect the contents of the container from contact with the cover.

3. As a new article of manufacture, a protective cap for fruit containers or the like comprising a dished corrugated body adapted when in inverted position to coact with the container cover, said cap having a horizontal peripheral iange similarly corrugated to provide a cushionedseat for the cover.

4.` A container cap having a dished cushioning body provided with parallel corru-f gations and a securing edge formed with radial corrugations extending from the parallel corrugations. v

5. The combination of a container, a cover' therefor having a rim to rest upon the upper edge of the container, and a cushioning cap dished to extend within said cover and having a securing edge disposed to extend between said cover rim and the container edge.

In testimony whereof I aiiiX my signature. PETER J. KEYMEL. 

